Don't Touch to Please Touch

A command is an order given by a person in authority, generally, to his subordinates or juniors to follow. A set of such commands becomes a code or manual that is to be followed by those at whom it is directed. Ancient Indian scholar Jaimini who lived 2400 years ago (4th Century BC), is famous for his treatise Purva Mimansa Sutras that classified Vedic commands based on their binding nature. One of the classifications is Vidhi and Nisheda. Vidhi is a positive command that directs to do a particular act. "Tell the Truth" is a positive command and hence a Vidhi. A command that directs not to do a particular act is a negative direction and is known as Nisheda. "Do not covet the property of others" is a Nisheda command. 

We were a generation brought up with such Vidhi and Nisheda commands. Whatever we did was mostly in the form of obeying a Vidhi order. Whatever we desisted from doing was also obeying a Nisheda directive. Children who followed these rules were considered to have good behavior. Kids violating such rules were frowned upon. Frequent violation of the rules would result in some punishment. Any child not respecting the commands was considered as a bad child. Among the many such rules were the ones of keeping children from touching many things at home and outside. "Don't Touch" was a standard order given to children. Natural curiosity of children was curbed and they were barred from handling valuable and fragile items. Did this promote better discipline among them? It is indeed a debatable matter. Today's children do not appear to have as much Nisheda commands as we had. Or even if there are, they do not care. Excessive controls kill the enterprise in the children. They need freedom to flower and grow. How much of freedom is good is now a matter of opinion. This is an endless debate for generations.

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A "Museum" is defined as a place or a building where works of art, scientific specimens, or other objects of permanent value are kept and displayed. There are several museums allover the world and a tourist's itinerary usually has visits to one or the other museum in a big city. Some of these museums need a full day or more to have a meaningful view of them. Some museums also provide a brochure giving details of highlights in the place to see depending on the time at the disposal of the tourists. The most common sign boards that can be seen in such places is the "Do Not Touch" sign. Important artifacts are kept behind barricades and can be viewed only from a distance. Some museums also provide benches a few feet away from the items or paintings to enable the viewer to sit, view and appreciate the beauty of the displayed item. Touching some very valuable items may even trigger an alarm and alert the security personnel. 

Don't Touch is the rule in such museums. It is indeed difficult to manage children in such places. They have not reached the age to appreciate the beauty of the displayed items. The items that appear beautiful to them are not displayed there. Fortunately there are some museums dedicated exclusively to meet the interests of children. But they are far and few. "Museum of childhood" in Edinburgh, Scotland is a museum that attracts children and adults alike. During our visit to this museum some years ago, we were surprised to find the items used by the children to play from all parts of the world, including what we consider as exclusive to our local areas. The thousands of dolls and other items displayed are indeed a thrill to watch. Of course, we are not allowed to touch them, as in any other museum.

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There are a few museums that allow children to touch and feel the objects displayed in them. Scientific museums provide levers or switches that can be handled by them to understand the scientific principles and their application in daily life. Please Touch Museum in the Fairmount Park of Philadelphia is a museum exclusively for children of up to seven years of age. As the name itself suggests, children are welcome to touch and feel each and every item in the museum. The museum gives ten reasons as to why children should visit the museum and why parents are to take them there. The displays in the museum aim to answer the endless questions of children like How? and Why? It is a place where adults learn too along with children. More than 25,000 toys are at the disposal of children. They can experience many real life things they see each day but are forbidden from touching and feeling. They can sit in the driver's seat of a SEPTA bus or a car, fill gas into a car on their own and act as a toll collector. The river pond provides opportunity to play freely in flowing water with plastic ducks and other such animals. There is a "Wonderland" to develop literary skills and they can sing along their favorite rhymes with recording systems.

Children have an exclusive railway station and train to act as a driver of the engine, ticket collector or passengers. They have supermarket to shop for groceries and a kitchen where they can store the purchased items in refrigerator and containers. The real experience of cooking and serving a meal to their parents is available without fire. Safety of children and accompanying adults has been given primary importance. There is a "Please Touch" Garden as well as a Space Station. An Imagination Playground provides soft plastic moulds that can be used to build anything as per their imagination. There are bookstores, shoe store and library and a hospital unit as well to learn basics of their working. Several Toddler Zones provide safe playing zones to kids under three years of age. There are many other attractions that help children play as well as learn. The joy on the face of the children matches their abundant energy levels. The Cafeteria takes care of the eating requirements of the children and parents during the day. A very well maintained 110 year old Carousal with 52 hand carved animals is a big draw with the children. Usually parents are charged for a ride and children ride free in many places. But here, children have to buy a one dollar ticket per ride but parents and adults ride free! Birthday parties can be scheduled here. Other events like weddings and social functions with gatherings up to 3,000 people can be held on prior arrangement with the museum authorities.

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The only problem parents face when they take children to this museum is that they do not want to come out of it. Even a promise of bringing them back next week does not satisfy them. They keep running from one attraction to another and keeping track of them indeed required quite an effort.

From the times of Nisheda of "Do not Touch" to the mild Vidhi of "Please Touch", we have come a long way! Let the children enjoy the freedom as we enjoy watching their enjoyment.